


Chocolate And Fire

by NimueOfTheNorth



Series: Coffee and Tea [3]
Category: Criminal Minds, James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 07:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9425885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NimueOfTheNorth/pseuds/NimueOfTheNorth
Summary: Being the one waiting and worrying at home can be nerve-wracking. Being the one coming home can put your world to rights.Or: A mission gone bad and a storm outside. Hot chocolate, a fireplace and purring cats inside.





	

 

Spencer put down the book and looked up to the clock on the mantle - again.

It was nearing nine in the evening and nothing could really hold his attention anymore. Finlay had been called into work for some emergency or other while they were enjoying the remnants of a sumptuous breakfast in bed.

That had been the day before yesterday.

Spencer was perfectly capable of entertaining himself. Of course he would have preferred to spend his limited time in Britain with his lover but he knew all too well how their lines of work could affect personal lives and wasn’t mad about it, just slightly disappointed.

He’d kept to his plans and taken a bus to Cardiff yesterday. There was no chance he’d pass up on the chance to visit the Doctor Who Experience and explore the city his favourite show was produced in. There were enough recognisable places to be found to warm every nerd’s heart. He’d even used the ridiculous selfie-stick Garcia had gifted him with to document himself standing in the exact spot the Tardis had used to refuel over the rift. (The perception filter must have lost its effectiveness however, because he stayed perfectly visible.)

London itself held much to explore and Spencer enjoyed a large amount of people watching. There was just something so entirely British about how people acted and interacted in the public sphere that he was far from getting bored by it.

Today, however, the weather had pushed him inside when it had turned nasty around lunchtime with strong winds and heavy rain. At least it was a convenient excuse not to go on the originally planned Jack the Ripper tour and hope that Finlay would be able to join him for that one of the remaining evenings.

Cuddling up with a book on Fin’s couch wasn’t exactly a hardship. Everything around him looked, smelled and just plain felt like his lover and that was a feeling he didn’t get to enjoy often. Added bonus was that the Lord and Lady of the house, otherwise known as Fin’s cats Odysseus and Penelope, had decided to like Spencer and were constantly cuddling with him. He wondered what Garcia would say about her feline namesake.

Right now said cat was getting restless, just like Spencer. Penny had woken up from her nap on Spencer’s legs and jumped onto the backrest of the couch where she proceeded to walk back and forth. Odysseus had chosen a position on the chest of drawers in the little entryway of the flat more than an hour ago. When Spencer tried to ignore Penny so he wouldn’t grow more agitated himself, she started to meow in a very complaining manner at him. (And how did cats do that?)

Finally he gave up, closed the book and tossed in onto the table. “Yes, I know. I’m worried, too. But there isn’t anything I can do about it. Either he comes home or he doesn’t. - And when did I start talking to cats?!”

He raked his fingers through his hair and got up to pace up and down. He was definitely moving from just missing his lover to being worried. Not so much about Fin himself, who should by all accounts be safe and sound in MI6 headquarters right here in London. But there had been no missions near critical points when he’d arrived, that’s why Fin had been able to take the few days mostly off of work to spend with him. So the fact that whatever he had been called in for took this long to resolve couldn’t mean anything good. 

And Q may be a coolheaded professional with strict rules, who seemed to mostly care about the equipment he handed out and wanted back, preferably undamaged. But Spencer knew the Finlay behind that Q and that was a passionate man who cared greatly about the people around him and who always wanted to do everything and anything in his power to bring an agent home safely.

So things going apparently badly would create huge emotional stress for him. Spencer could only hope that the outcome wasn’t devastating.

Needing something to do he went into the kitchen and looked through the cupboards and the fridge. He made a mental list of ingredients and all the possible comfort foods he could make with them. Thinking about food reminded his stomach of the so far neglected dinner and so Spencer decided to heat up the leftover pasta. He really wasn’t feeling like much more.

Penny decided to keep him company in the kitchen, though she still looked at him accusingly, as if it was his task to bring home her primary servant and he was failing his duty. Seuss graced the kitchen with a short walk around before he left again, presumably to return to his sentry by the door.

Spencer was just putting away his few dishes when Penny dashed away and just moments later he heard the keys turning in the lock. He let out a breath and followed the excited cat to the door.

There was Finlay, kneeling on the floor, dripping wet from the rain, petting and cuddling his cats that were purring like they wanted to drown out the storm, and looking incredibly exhausted.

“Hey there. Welcome home.” Spencer held out a hand to Fin who only smiled tiredly but grateful. Spencer pulled him up and right into his arms, both holding on tight.

“Hi. I’m so glad to be home. Sorry I was gone so long.”

“Don’t worry about it. You wanna take a shower?”

“Are you saying I stink?”

“No, but you’re tense and drenched and it will do you good. But if you don’t take it now, you’ll crash before you get around to it.”

He got a non-committal hum in response but Finlay didn’t loosen his embrace. “Are you joining me?”

“Not tonight. Have you eaten?”

“Yes, somebody ordered Chinese.”

“Good. Off to the bathroom with you. I’ll get a fire going and prepare some liquid comfort.”

Finlay pressed a chaste kiss to Spencer’s lips before he let go and shuffled off towards the bathroom, Penny and Seuss in tow.

Spencer had found it a little weird that the cats would actually keep Fin company during showers, baths and trips to the loo, but as long as they allowed him to go unobserved when starkers, he could manage.

He heard the water turn on and after quickly mopping up the rain Fin had brought inside, Spencer went about building a fire and putting milk on the stove for a nice rich hot chocolate. He also dug out the liquor in case it was that kind of evening.

When Finlay came back into the living room his hair was still damp and even more disheveled than normal. He had put on his warm pyjama pants, thick wool socks and an old jumper that he’d appropriated from Spencer’s closet during a visit.

He just flopped down on the couch and tucked his feet up, Odysseus and Penelope immediately joining him to give their owner some love and get cuddled in return. Spencer brought over the mugs with whipped cream and mini-marshmallows, which Fin cradled in his hands with a smile. He scooted over to make room for Spencer and then settled himself against him.

For a long while they were both just enjoying the closeness, sipping their hot chocolates and staring into the fire.

When Fin set his empty mug aside and snuggled more deeply into Spencer’s embrace, Spencer finally broke the silence. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Fin stayed quiet for so long Spencer thought he might be falling asleep. “You know... given how often I wish to send Bond off into the desert so he’ll stop bothering me and messing with my equipment, you would expect I’d enjoy him actually being stuck in one.” He fell quiet again.

“Didn’t you say he was playing bodyguard to some political VIP on a city trip?”

“Yeah.” Fin gave a long suffering sigh. “He was supposed to be in Tokyo.”

“And where did he end up?”

“The Sahara. One of the parts fought over by warlords and terrorists, naturally.”

“That does sound dangerous and difficult to handle if you weren’t prepared for him to be there. Did you get him home?”

“He’s on a military plane right now. It was... It was damn close a few times and at one point I wasn’t at all sure...” Finlay shook his head like he didn’t want to bring this thought to a conclusion. “That man must have more than one cat among his ancestors. The way he survives impossible situations again and again can only be explained by more than nine lives. It might also explain some of his craziness.”

That made Spencer chuckle. He’d heard enough rants about a number of agents, but none as often as Bond. “But he’s on his way home now. You got him out, because you’re brilliant and resourceful and stubborn. And that’s all that matters. Now try and relax.” He started to run his fingers up and down Fin’s back, knowing very well the effect that could have on the man.

He’d been in lounge pants ever since the weather had forced him inside and Fin had thankfully invested in a ridiculously large couch, so they could fall asleep here in front of the fireplace and not regret it in the morning.

When his lover’s breathing evened out he stretched slightly to switch off the closest of the few lamps he’d left burning and rearranged himself under Fin’s murmured protest a little more comfortably. He draped the soft blanket Fin had on his couch over them and tried to go to sleep as well.

The storm continued to howl outside and the rain beat against the windows but inside in their little cocoon of firelight, warmth and the lingering smell of chocolate and milk, the world was putting itself back to rights with sleep and the purring of cats.


End file.
